Cost of War
by megaflash
Summary: Draco loses some more


The short driveway was lined with elegantly cut trees. Underneath his feet, the white gravel crunched pleasantly. Just behind the fence that surrounded the manor, several peacocks strutted.

Blaise Zabini sighed, he hated visiting Malfoy Manor. Lucius believed in opulence and wasn't afraid to rub his money in your face. Accordingly, any and all visitors had to apparate onto the driveway, lest they not get the full experience of seeing the manor. The only exception was close family, they were allowed to use the floo.

Blaise approached the gate and knocked three times. The gate handle was shaped like a snake and hissed when he released it. The gates silently swung open after a moment's pause.

Blaise wasn't sure what to expect. Draco had sent a message by house elf, requesting assistance. If it was urgent, Draco would have floo called.

The sound of breaking glass drew his attention to the right of the front door. A vase hurtled out the second floor window, heading straight to the ground. Blaise watched it shatter into tiny fragments with a wince. A quick glance confirmed that the vase probably cost more than his entire robe set.

Entering the front foyer, the sounds of yelling drifted towards him. Lucius and Narcissa were out of the country, laying low after the Dark Lord's defeat. Besides Draco, the only other person who could be in the mansion was…

"I told you!" yelled Pansy Parkinson, appearing at the second floor landing. "I _told you_ to pick wisely, and what _did you do?_"

Blaise moved further into the foyer, but not close enough to hear Draco's reply.

"I expected you to think for yourself, not let your Daddy make your decisions!" Pansy began to descend the stairs.

"Pansy, darling, please wait," Draco said, staggering out of the hallway. He leaned against the railing, a bottle gripped in his hands. His normally combed hair was askew, and his cheeks were flushed red. "We've both made some mistakes-"

"_You've_ made some mistakes," she interjected. "The _only_ mistake _I_ made was _staying with you!"_

Draco staggered back, then straightened. "Woman! That is no way to talk to your fiance!"

Pansy drew her wand and whirled around. A small, pink light rocketed away from her. The bottle Draco had been clutching vanished, the liquid splashing into the carpet.

"Damn it," yelled Draco. "That's Eqyptian carpet! Do you know how much that costs?"

"You don't understand how much I don't care," Pansy replied. "But you will."

Pansy aimed her wand towards the ceiling, Blaise looked up at the crystal chandelier. Lucius had bragged that the glasswork was half the worth of the mansion. His eyes widened and he threw himself out of the way.

His impact on the ground and the sound of crashing had dazed Blaise. Looking back up, he saw a pair of house elves cowering and shaking underneath the staircase. Shaking his head, he sat up. Glass littered the marble floor. Draco yelled something, but Blaise's eyes were still ringing. A pop heralded the return of his hearing.

"-re you crazy?"

"You are your father's son!"

"Stupid bint! Stop breaking my stuff-"

"I'll bring this whole house down if I need to-"

"What point are you making-"

"IT'S OVER," Pansy shrieked. Draco's pale knuckles gripped the banister tightly, and Blaise stayed still. Like most predators, women's sight was based on movement. The only way he was making it out alive was to not get between the two of them.

"I'm calling of the engagement," said Pansy, breathing heavily. "We will not be married."

Draco wasn't moving, his pale skin contrasting with the flush in his face. He opened his mouth and then closed it.

Blaise held his breath. Whether he would be comforting a friend or burying a fool depended on what Draco said.

Finally, through gritted teeth, Draco spoke. "How long?"

"A week," replied Pansy, holstering her wand. "That's how long the paperwork will take to process."

"Good," he said.

"Fine."

"Fine."

"Good."

"Anything else you want to destroy on your way out?" Draco snarked, courage starting to return.

Blaise wanted to facepalm, but the sound would give him away.

Pansy strode to the fireplace and grabbed a handful of floo powder. She threw some at a family portrait hanging nearby. Grabbing some more powder, she flooed away. The fireplace ignited the small trail leading to the painting, setting it on fire. The portrait's inhabitants ducked into other paintings to escape the flames.

Draco swore and drew his wand. He stumbled towards the painting, and fell down the stairs.

Now that the danger had passed, Blaise sent a small gust towards the painting. The floo powder that had ignited was scattered. The painting's inhabitants peaked from the frame edges.

Draco rolled onto his back and held his hand out towards the stairs. A moment later, a bottle flew through the air and Draco caught it.

Sitting up, Draco looked over at him. "How long have you been here?"

Blaise walked over, avoiding the larger chunks of glass. "Since she threw a vase out the window."

"Damn," said Draco, uncapping the bottle and taking a swig.

"Indeed," concurred Blaise. He held his hand out to Draco.

Draco frowned and held out the the alcohol bottle. Blaise rolled his eyes as he gripped Draco's arm and hauled him to his feet. Draco leaned against Blaise and the pair picked their way through the glass battlefield. The two house elves shrunk back as they passed by, but neither men took notice. They entered a small receiving room that was equipped with several couches and chairs.

Blaise eased Draco onto a couch, making sure he wouldn't slide off. Blaise sat in a chair next to Draco and took the bottle. One hundred year old firewhiskey, the best money could buy. He savored the taste and handed it back to Draco.

They shared the bottle in silence, drinking until only half the alcohol was left.

"This was our worst fight," said Draco.

"Looks like your last fight," replied Blaise.

"Probably," agreed Draco. He stretched out on the couch, looking up at the ceiling.

"How long were you engaged?"

"We had an official marriage contract in second year. Got engaged a month after Dumbledore died. Everything was going so well...until…"

"Until Potter killed the Dark Lord."

Draco took a deep breath, and reached for the whiskey. "Yeah, until Potter won."

"I didn't think Pansy would be a Potter fan."

"She was never a true believer, just went along with whatever I did. She doesn't fancy my chances now that the Dark Lord is gone."

Blaise avoided looking at Draco's left forearm. He never took the Dark Mark himself, but Draco would be forever scarred. It seems his fiance leaving him would be just one more thing supporting the Dark Lord would cost him.

Blaise went to get a new bottle.

**A/N**

**House/Team: Ravenclaw**

**Class Subject: Transfiguration  
**

**Story Category: Standard  
**

**Prompt: [Action: Ending a Marriage Arrangement]  
**

**Word Count" 1147**


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